[Pearls Ep 170: Preparing for Sunday.]
In this week’s Pearls of the Interior Life (click here to watch/listen), we consider Jesus’ amazing statement that, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Why “the Truth and the Life?” Why aren’t we done with I am the Way?
Here’s an answer from theologian Frank Sheed – “To have found the way is not the end; it is the beginning.” God desires relationship with us. God does not want us to just blindly follow Him, like some imperious tyrant – He wants us to understand Him and participate in the journey to the best of our human ability.
A primary way of knowing God, and thus following His way, is knowing His Truth. Christ is the fullness of Truth. In fact, Christ is Truth. He is uncreated wisdom. And God’s Truth (which includes his laws for how to live our life) helps us to navigate through life’s challenges so that we do not lose our way. Laws are not bad; they are not pointless constraints. God’s laws, as has been said, are like the banks of a river, without which the water loses its direction, power and purpose.
And now, when we are not only blindly following the Way, but growing in Truth, we find that there is new freedom, new vitality (just like that river), and new Life.
Here’s a simple analogy of taking a long road trip using a GPS (remember the ancient days of having a road atlas in the car???). You could just go from point A to point B, following the GPS direction, and not pay any attention to why the GPS chose that route, or what was happening in the surrounding area. (Here’s a trivia question – what’s the most frequently heard direction from Steve’s GPS? “Please make your next legal U-turn.”)
So, you traveled along the WAY. And that’s fine. You arrived safely.
But what if you were in the passenger seat and zoomed out on the GPS, or looked at an accompanying map. You would start to notice things. If you were going through a wooded area, you might notice that you were actually driving through a forest preserve, and just on the other side of some hills was a reservoir and tributaries. And another part of the route that seemed circuitous was actually avoiding a congested metro area. Now you are seeing the bigger picture. You are not only following the Way, you are understanding the why – or, the Truth of the Way.
Let’s go a final step. Now, the next time you take the trip you might want to alter your route. Perhaps you want to explore that reservoir. Or take a side trip into the city (at least, if you were Steve). Following the Way, and learning the TRUTH, has now given you a new found freedom in your travels – it’s brought a new vitality to the trip, one might say, a new Life.
In this week’s Pearls video we also look at an example of the Way, the Truth and the Life in the life of Prince Vladimir – the ruthless leader of Kiev, who had an amazing conversion that led to the Christianization of his homeland.
The question for each of us is this – are there areas of our life where we need to get back along the Way? Or, where we might be on the Way, but are just going through the motions, and need to dig deeper into the Truth? Or, where God is calling us to take some bold steps, and trust Him on a path into new Life?
Easter blessings –
Steve and Karen Smith
Interior Life
Postscript: Jn 14:1-12
Jesus said to His disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in Me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to Myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where You are going; how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know Me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing His works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”